Wounderful Journey
by Jacqueline King
Summary: What has happened to the keyblade master after his island home is destroyed? What about Riku? And will Kairi truly work for the villians to avenge her love for Sora? Sequal to Follow Me. May contain a bit of yaoi. If confused, read Follow Me first.
1. Prologue

_Life is a road that I wanna keep going  
Love is a river I wanna keep flowing  
Life is a road, now and forever  
**Wonderful Journey**_

_I'll be there when the world stops turning  
I'll be there when the storm is through  
In the end I wanna be standing  
At the beginning with you_

_Life is a road that I wanna keep going  
Love is a river a wanna keep flowing on…  
Starting out on a Journey _

_--At the Beginning, from the movie Anastasia_

* * *

Sora took a deep breath, his eyes flickering closed. His body shivered slightly at the cool night air touched his bare chest. He curled closer around his lover, taking their form into his arms. After all that had come to be. After all that he'd done to them, he was amazed they wished to share this with him.

He didn't deserve this. Not after the betrayal and so much more. Not after leaving them for so long.

"I love you, Sora," they whispered, sleepily. A gentle hand held his own that lay wrapped around their waist. For a moment, all that was heard was the sounds of night drifting through to the lovers. A symphony of crickets played their soft ballad while the bullfrogs gave their baritone opera. A lone wolf's sad lamenting sailed over the sounds of the natural music, echoing in the woodwind breeze. The beautiful combination of sounds left Sora with a strangely empty feeling in his stomach.

Alone, the wolf sounded so sad, but with the entire orchestra, it created a stirring melody. However, it still seemed so completely melancholy. It was as if it were mourning for something it had not even lost. Sora stared down at the figure in his arms. Should he be doing the same?

There was a long sigh from his lover, who rolled over to face him. Those eyes… They were far more awake now, which surprised Sora. They had been so sleepy just a few minutes ago. Time was traveling differently now, however. Sora guessed that he could have been listening to the songs of the night for hours but it only felt like minutes. "Do you love me too? Or are you still unsure?" they challenged him with biting words, even though they were spoken in a whisper.

It brought Sora crashing down to the cold reality that what he'd just done was not just something two people who love each other did. He'd done it to try and make peace, to bring them closer so they wouldn't fall apart before all hope was lost.

Sora shook his head, hoping that his lover did not see the tears in his eyes as he moved closer, lying down so it was hard to see where one face ended and the other began before kissing their brow. Small beads of sweat still stained their hairline.

As he did this, Sora suddenly was struck with the feeling he no longer knew who was in his arms. And more strangely, that it did not matter who it was.

"Of course I love you."


	2. James

"How long are you two planning on wasting your time here?" Cid growled to the duck and dog sitting at the steps leading up to Leon's house. Cid had already repaired Donald and Goofy's gummi ship a week ago. They still were bunking with Leon and Yuffie even then, which irked the mechanic perhaps a little more than it should be normal. Usually people _flew _the ship he repaired. It did not help that it'd been a good long time since he'd been able to repair anything for anyone. Gummi ships had become very uncommon after the worlds were separated. There were ways to travel from one to another, though it was challenging and took weeks at time. However, though the heartless were a terrible plague, they did give Cid his business in some sense.

"Oh, I don't know," Donald grumbled back, his brow furrowed. The mage had been in a foul mood since his arrival, though neither of the companions spoke of what made them both in such strange moods. Though, Donald being grumpy wasn't exactly a surprise.

"We're not sure where to go," Goofy admitted, his eyes sad as he stared at the cobblestone of Traverse Town's streets. The king's two most trusted advisors had been keeping the heartless of the town in check since their return, providing the people of Traverse Town the ability to safely leave their homes again. But the gossip traveled fast, and now everyone was wondering the same thing: Where was Sora, the keyblade master?

"Didja loose the kid again?" Cid teased, hiding his curiosity under his rough outer demeanor. At once he knew that was the wrong question. Donald seemed to inflate and was on his feet quacking insanely in a second. Goofy jumped to his feet as well to hold back Donald. Cid silently thanked the heavens that the duck had not been holding his staff.

Goofy forced the duck back onto the steps and gave a loud sigh as he too sat down. No one spoke for a moment, until the sound of foot steps made them all look up. Leon was standing before them now, his arms crossed, as he looked them over. He'd heard the full story of what had happened two weeks ago, but he was in firm denial that it had killed Riku and Sora. "They both survived it once, didn't they?" he'd challenged Goofy and Donald. "They can do it again."

Leon now took in the sight of scruffy Cid leaning against the brick wall along the stairwell. He had a piece of straw wedge in his teeth and squinted back at the dark haired Leon. "I think you should move along, Cid," Leon said smoothly, with just a touch of danger in his voice. Cid threw his hands up in the air with a "bah!" before walking away towards his shop on the east side of Traverse Town.

"Any word of them?" Goofy asked hopefully. Leon shook his head slowly. They both stared at the ground, heaving a deep sigh.

"But," Leon said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "There has been word of someone buying a lot of items from the Accessory and Items shops. Someone around here is planning on some fighting, but no one can remember who they sold so much to."

"How can that be?" Donald asked as his brow furrowed once more. He now had his staff in his hands, beating the head of it in his hand impatiently. "They have to keep records of their sales, right?"

"That's what's weird. Whoever it is knows how to keep their identity secret enough to make the owners think it's someone else each time."

Donald and Goofy glanced at each other, unsure of what to make of Leon's news. It made them curious, but did not at all help with their situation. There was a long lasting sense of defeat shared between the three, even though Leon kept up his bluff of cool and collect assurance.

"Where do you think they are?" Goofy asked quietly, looking up at the stars. One flickered before his eyes, and died as the darkness took it. There would be many more to do this without the Key Bearer. How many could they watch die without going mad? Without going crazy from the knowledge they are partly to blame for not being able to stop the destruction?

"Hopefully some place that's better than here," Leon said, straightening up and looking towards the sky. "And if they're not," he added as he made his way up the steps towards his home, "they're making it better."

* * *

Worlds away, a young brunette's eyes flickered open from the strange dreams he'd been having. The room before him was unfamiliar and dingy. The house creaked and moaned in time with the winds stripping its skeletal frame of warmth. Flashes of what had occurred came to him, but only distantly, as if they were slipping through a clogged drain. He closed his eyes, trying to think. What had happened?

_Blood. Crimson and dangerous lingered on his fingertips as he stroked the red stained hair from his face._

Riku.

At once, he sat up quickly, too quickly. The dark and dank room before him swam in his vision before he fell back onto his pillow. Where was Riku? Why wasn't he by him? Why was he in this house?

"You shouldn't get up that quickly, you're still hurt," came a child's voice.

Blinking, he opened his eyes once more, looking at the bedside. A boy of about ten stood there, holding a cup of tea. He held out the cup as if in a peace offering. Slowly and carefully, he sat up and took the cup from the boy.

"What's your name?" the child asked, sitting at the foot of the creaky cot. He wore shabby clothes that seemed to suit the room they were in. The cobwebbed window let only a handful of small rays make their way inside to light the room. It appeared they were in an attic with slopping ceilings. As the old house shifted in the wind, dust fell from the pillars.

"Sora," he replied, a minute too late. The silence had already kicked in. He took a sip of the tea and tried not to choke. The boy gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry it tastes bad, Sora," the child replied. This time, Sora heard his accent. It rolled off the tongue nicely. "My aunts don't really much like things that taste good. But it'll make you feel better. You were very cold."

"What about the other person with me?" Sora asked hurriedly, setting the cup down on a rickety bedside table. "Silver hair, tall—"

"He's still sleeping," the boy cut in, giving Sora a gentle look of pity. Sora clutched the quilt covering him in anger. He wanted to see Riku, _now. _"He hit his head, didn't he?"

"Yes, but is he okay? Has he woken up? Is he…?"

"He's got a bad fever, but he's alive. He hasn't woken up. It's been a while since you two showed up in the pumpkin patch," the boy replied, swinging his legs off the cot as he went towards the narrow set of stairs that led out of the attic. "If you can stand, you can see him. I have him on the couch. I don't know where I'm going to put him once Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker get back."

Sora didn't need to be told twice. He hesitantly slid off the cot. He was wearing his boxers and undershirt to his surprise. But there wasn't time for meaningless questions. The boy led him down the stairs, past a few doors then down another flight of stairs. There was a sitting room that appeared to never be in use, with one occupant that was defying its usual neglect. Riku's head was covered in a soft white cloth that had small blotches of dried blood here and there. His arms held many scratches and bruises. Looking down at his own arms, Sora saw that he was in the same condition.

"Riku…" he breathed, and he flew to his side. The boy watched as Sora took his best friend's hand and held it to his face. Sora was in his own world at that moment, lost in pain. He'd lost Kairi, now Riku might not come back to him… Riku's head lolled with sweat sprinkling his brow. Sora ran his fingers to feel the fever ragging in the older boy's body.

"Is that his name?"

Sora gave a start; he had forgotten there was someone else in the room. Slowly, he looked at the boy who stood on the other side of the couch. He nodded before his eyes fell back down to the silver haired boy. He stroked his face, trying to make him stir. Sora needed to see those aqua blue eyes.

"Riku and Sora," the boy repeated, testing the names in his peculiar accent. "Sora and Riku." Their names sounded so innocent said by such an unknowing child. How would he know the terrible things that Sora had done because of his love for Riku? Not to mention his love for Kairi as well? Weakly, he leaned down and kissed the brow of the silver haired boy.

Sora slowly turned back towards the boy who had given them shelter. His short, dark hair was messy upon his round face that was speckled with freckles. "What's your name?" Sora asked, giving a weak smile.

"James," the boy replied, thrusting his hand out. Sora couldn't help but laugh.

"Nice to meet you James," he chuckled, but only half his heart was in his voice.

"Nice to meet you too, Sora and Riku," James replied, staring down at Riku's still form.

Sora looked down as well, unable to tear his eyes away from the motionless form for long. "Wake up…" Sora pleaded in a whisper. "I need you."

The house's creaks and groans as another hard gust of wind blew through was the only reply.

* * *

_N/A - MWHAHA! I actually started writing this! Aren't you all so happy? Anyways, yes I am evil for not letting you know if Riku will be okay or not. Not to mention the prologue. Just for those of you who don't quite get it, you're **not supposed to know **who Sora picked in the prologue.  
Anyways, hope you all enjoy Wonderful Journey! I'll try to update this best as I can. - Jacqueline Out.  
_


	3. So Close and So Far

It'd been two weeks, and The Queen was getting angry.

"How can we just not know if they're dead or alive?" she screamed at Maleficent. They stood in the dark and shrouded halls of The Queen's Castle. The other villains had begun their journeys back to their home worlds to scout for the Key Bearers. Maleficent held herself all the same, her eyes traveling lazily over the dusty volumes of witchcraft and sorcery (a rather out-dated bunch compared to her collection). She clicked her long staff on the stone ground and her fateful bird, Diablo, came soaring in from the rafters. He landed with a scrape of his claws on the orb at the end of the great Witch's staff.

"Their world was once again distorted and destroyed by the Darkness, Queen Grimhilde," she replied, her long fingers stroking the raven's feathers in a cold, thoughtful manner. "They could have been killed in the process, or—such as they did last time, may I remind you—live through it, and end up in any world any where in the galaxy. We've sent everyone in our circle to patrol, and that is all that we can do for the time being. We also have the girl, may I remind you."

The Queen sneered. "That little wretch will never be able to truly help us. She is just greedy right now; soon her heart will go back to its same sickeningly sweet ways. She still loves the boy you know you can feel it too. Her heart practically _sings_it." The Queen gave a shiver of disgust and clutched her hands on her wooden table laden with spell books and dried frog toes. "She will never turn against him," she concluded with a cold clench of her hard jaw.

Maleficent gave a wicked smirk and turned towards the wide, gapping window before her. The land below had once been a prosperous kingdom. Now the Heartless kept the good creatures of the forest in check along with the dwarves and peasants. This was the start of a new age. "Oh, but we don't need her to hurt the King of Blades. We just need her to hurt my little Riku. They will take care of each other from that point onward."

The raven gave a caw and flew over the dark lands, his cry echoing the cackle of his master.

* * *

Kairi kept the cloak tightly around her face as she hurried through Traverse Town. She'd not only heard of Goofy and Donald's being there as well, but she'd also seen them speaking to the man Leon, whom she'd stayed with while Sora searched for Riku without her. Unconsciously, the redhead's grip on her cloak tightened. She hated the thought of that silver-haired freak. A part of her mind fought in her; trying to argue there was once a time she admired Riku and respected him greatly for his coolness and skill. Nothing ever used to faze him. Kairi shook those thoughts away. No. Riku was her greatest enemy for doing what he'd done to her. He knew that Sora loved her. But that didn't stop him. Just as he knew that she and Sora cared about him, but he went to the darkness anyways.

Kairi rushed past the gummi ship repairer, Cid, hoping that her cloak hadn't slipped. She snuck down a hidden alley and slipped into the hotel where she roomed under the name Yuna. She pulled off her cloak, revealing the change in her. Instead of her usual pink and happy colored outfit, she wore black stockings that reached her thighs, large purple boots with a vast amount of buckles on them and a midnight purple form-fitting dress with a black sash around her waist. Upon the chest was the symbol that once made her flesh crawl, but now she accepted as a part of her. A peculiar black heart with a blood-red border rested there, displaying her true colors. This was the symbol of the Heartless.

With two dark gloved hands, she reached over to the only thing that made her hotel room feel like a home; a small picture of Sora and here, each licking ice creams on the Paopu Island as small children. In the background, she could see Riku looking on jealously. This was her reminder of how Riku had tried to hurt her since she was young. This was her reminder that Sora could be hers, that she didn't have to follow Maleficent's plan all the way through. She could destroy Riku, and Sora would return to her. He had to.

With a sigh, she placed her potions and elixirs she'd gotten form the Items Shop today with her supplies of other things she'd need when she would leave the next morning. There had yet to be a report, but she knew that they weren't in Traverse Town. Sora would have survived the world going into darkness, but she didn't know if Riku had it in him without succumbing to the power of the darkness. Tomorrow she would set out and start searching worlds. But for now, there was nothing to do but sleep. She pulled off her boots and crawled into her bed. She fell asleep, falling back into memories.

* * *

_For once, Kairi and Sora were sitting alone watching a sunset. Riku had mumbled something about having to tell his parents that he was leaving tomorrow on the raft. Leave it to him to leave something like that to the last minute, Kairi thought with a role of her pretty blue eyes. She sat beside Sora on the dock, her shoes were off and she let the waves skim over her toes as the aqua of the water faded to a soft pink and then into a lighter purple and then into a dark purple abyss that stretched on to the places the three friends were soon to explore._

_As she swung her toes over the foam of the crashing waves, she thought about what she was about to say. Finally she started the only way the young girl could think of, "You know, Riku has changed."_

_The brunette beside her looked up from his task of teasing a few fish with his toes as they tried to nibble at his feet. He blinked, the naivety so readable on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked, looking back out at the waters._

_Kairi bit her lip and stared long and hard at the grains of the dock's wood as she mumbled, "Well…" She never finished her thought as Sora waited patiently with his eyes now back on her._

_"You okay?" he asked. Hesitating, he reached forward and gently placed his large, gloved hand over Kairi's petit fingers._

_Kairi paused, then pulled her hand away before standing up quickly, nearly knocking their shoes into the water as she stared out at the horizon. It reminded Sora a lot of the look Riku had had on his face just the other day. Kairi's mind was racing. How could she say that she didn't trust Sora's best friend, and was even jealous of him? _

_"Sora, let's take the raft and go—just the two of us!" she finally blurted, letting the adrenaline that came from that thought flood through her. She longed to stretch out her arms and let her fingertips touch the sky. To be free from that terrible feeling that Riku was emanating, and to have Sora all to herself was like touching the sky. So close, and so far. _

_"Huh?" Sora replied, unsure of what to make of Kairi's very out of character behavior._

_The reality of her words sunk in, and she put on a face and giggled, turning back to Sora with a smile. "Just kidding," she laughed. Sora gave an uneasy laugh that turned into a real one once he realized that she wasn't being serious. _

_Still chuckling, Sora commented, "What's gotten into you? You're the one that's changed, Kairi."_

_Slowly, the smile on the redhead's face faded a trace. "Maybe…" she replied, her eyes far off in the distance once again. "You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I'm ready. No matter where I go, or what I see, I know I can always come back here. Right?" _

_ "Yeah, of course!" Sora promised, smiling up at her. He was the only one who wouldn't mind staying, it seemed. He'd love to see the worlds, but he was happy with his friends. He decided then that he'd go to the ends of the universe for Riku and Kairi. Because he didn't have to be here at the islands to be at home, he just had to be with them. _

_"That's good," Kairi said with a tiny laugh, as she seemed to come back to actually being beside Sora. He slowly stood up as well and grabbed their shoes. She looked him over and felt warmth from her heart spread throughout her body right to the tip of her still wet toes. "Sora, don't ever change," she said quietly. She never wanted to have that feeling that was coming off of Riku to come off of Sora. She never wanted to see him become a person she could not recognize._

_"Huh?" Sora said, and not for the last time when it came to speaking with his friends. _

_Kairi laughed and shook her head, catching Sora's attention with all of her innocent beauty. She tried not to think of what Riku was becoming, and what that could do to her and Sora. Once they left on their adventure, they'd never have to worry about that. She smiled and said, "I just can't wait. Once we set sail, it'll be great."_

* * *

**N/A - Hey everybody! I'm ACTUALLY POSTING!! I'm so excited. xD Thanks for those of you who were waiting so kindly. Next chapter might actually be up soon as well, and this one will actually have more Riku and Sora, promise. -wink- Thanks for reading, and PLEASE REVIEW!  
-Jacqueline Out.**_  
_


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